Mr. Speaker, our government has introduced a number of measures specifically to help lift people out of poverty.
Last July we began to put $850 million per year into the national child benefit. An additional $850 million will be added. By the year 2000 the total will be $1.7 billion per year going into the hands of low income families with children. This money is on top of the $5.1 billion we currently provide families with children that need financial assistance.
The long term solution to poverty lies in helping Canadians find jobs. Our Canadian opportunities strategy gives Canadians greater access to the knowledge and skills they need for the better jobs of the new economy. This strategy includes the $2.5 billion investment in millennium scholarships which will give 100,000 low and middle income students per year access to scholarships averaging $3,000. Up to 25,000 other students in financial need with children will benefit from the new Canada study grants.
Our youth employment strategy is there to help young people. We know that about 86% of participants are either employed or have returned to school six to twelve months after completing their program.
The employment insurance system is a vital part of our safety net. It gives workers the temporary support they need and the tools they need to get back to work.
Over 31,000 jobs have been created through the transitional jobs fund; $2.7 billion has been put into active employment measures to help people get back to work; and the family supplement also helped 350,000 low income families with children. A new federal-provincial program will provide $190 million to help disabled persons to gain better access to the workforce.
These efforts demonstrate clearly that we are committed to do as much as we possibly can to reduce poverty and create equality of opportunity for Canadians.